Flash-light-battery container.



H. M. KORETZKY.

FLASH LIGHT BATTERY CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 14. I915.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

WITNESSES I A TTORNEYS HARRY M. KORETZKY, or new YORK, N. Y.

FLASH-LIGHT-BATTERY CONTAINER.

Application flIed August 14, 1915. Serial No. 45,473.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. KORETZKY,

a citizen of the United States, an aresident of the city of New. York, borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented a. new and Improved Flash-Light-Battery Container, of which the following is .a. full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates toa container for the cells that form the battery of a pocket flashlight.

At the present time containers for flashlight cells are unreasonably expensive. and tedious to make and they take up considerable room when stored away'in empty condition, and being hand made they are-not uniform in appearance and size. These containers are usually made from a strip of cardboard forming the body open at one end and having a bottom applied to the other end, and, around the body and bottom is pasted the label or covering.

The general objects of the present invention are to overcome the objections in containers constructed as above set forth by providing a container which is made from a single blank which hasprin'ted matter on its outer surface so as to take the place of a pasted label, and which when empty is folded flat so that very little space is taken up for storage. The blank-consisting of a body and bottom in one piece takes less material and is easily converted into shape toreceive the cells.

Another feature of the present invention is the making of a blank in such a manner that one or more portions thereof will form seals so as to prevent the use of the battery without the seals being'broken, but

Specification of Letters Patent.

pocket flashlight.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Figure 1 is a bottom perspective viewof a cell fora flashlight; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22, Fig.. 1;-.Fig.'3 is a plan view of the blank that forms the container for the cells of the battery; Fig. 4 is a side view of the battery in sealed condition; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-'5, Fig. 4; Fig. .6 is a plan view (of a modified form'of blank from which the container is made; Fig. 7 is a side view of a sealed battery in which the container is made from a blank shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8

p is a verticalsection on the line 8-8, Fig. 7,;

and Fig. 9 is a sectional view of an empty container folded flat.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a pasteboard container for the cells B that constitute a battery, such cells being -separated by apiece of insulating material 1 extendlng longitudinally of the container. This container besides serving to hold the cells takes the place of a label, since matter can be; printed on the outer surface and it acts as an insulator so that the cells 'will not come into contact with the casing of the The container is made from a'blank which is so constructed as to consist of front and back portions 2 and 8 and side portions 4 and 5, with a lapped portion 6 which laps under the front portion 2 and is glued thereto so as to form a body of oval cross-section to receive a set of cells.

The side portions 4 and 5 have parallel rows of creases 7 so thatthe body ofthe container when madeup will closely conform to the curvature of the cells B. The bottom of the container is formed of 'oval flaps 8 and 9- connected with the front and rear faces 2 and 3, respectively. These fiaps 8 and '9 are adapted to fold one over the other to form a stiff bottom. One of the flaps may be provided with a. tab 10 to fold upwardly into the body of the container through a slot 10 in the flap 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4-. After the container is made and when in an empty condition it folds flat, as shown in Fig. 9, with the flaps 8 and 9 projecting and lying in the same plane with the body of'the container. If desired the blank may be provided with a tongue 11 integral with the top edge of one of the faces so that this tongue can be folded over the spring contact or terminal 12 of the battery, the tip of the tongue being pasted to the opposite face of the container from that to which the tongue is integrally connected. Theseal formed by-the tongue. 11 is in the conditlon shown'in Figs. 14: and ,5 when the battery 1s put up for the trade, and it will be observed that the seal does not cover the contacts or terminals 12 and 13 of the cells, so that these terminals are accessible for enabling the battery to be tested. When the battery is to be put into the case of a pocket flashlight the seal formed by the tongue 11 is torn off so that the switch and lam contacts of the flashlight can be engage wlth the terminals of the battery. .Fig. 1 shows the battery in condition for use in a flashlight. Obviously a seal separate from the blank may be used if desired:

The container constructed as shown in Figs 7 and 8 and made from a blank shown- ,in Fig. 6 is different from the container first explained only in regard to seal-forming flaps 14 and 15 at the top of the conta ner. The faces 2 and 3 have extensions 16 and 17 respectively, which project upwardly from the top of the battery when the container is sealed, and integrally connected with these extensions are the flaps 1 1 and 15. When the container is sealed these fia s 14 and 15 are pasted one over the other in overlapping relation, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, but these flaps do not .entirely cover the top of the battery, as openings 18 and 19 are formedthrough which the terminals 20 and 21 of the battery are accessible for testing purposes. The bottom flaps 8 and 9' may be pasted together or held in overlapping relation by a tab 10 insertible in the slot of the flap 8'. When the battery is to be used the sealing flaps 14 and 15 are torn off, and to facilitate this the extensions 15 and 16 may be scored along the lines 22.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, to-.

gether with the article which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the article shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a battery comprising a plurality of cells each including a metallic receptacle forming one element of the cell, a piece of insulating material separating adjacent cells from each whereby the tube before being'filled with the cells is capable of being folded fiat.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an electric battery for pocket flashlights and the like, comprising a plurality of cells each having a metallic receptacle forming an element of the cell, insulating means interposed between adjacent ,cells for maintaining the receptacles thereof out of contact, and a collapsible tube of flexible material forming anon-conductor and of such size that the cells and insulating means fit therein, said tube having integral flaps at its ends whereby the bottom can .be closed and the top sealed to prevent use of the battery until the top flap is torn off.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a battery comprising a plurality of cells each including a metallic receptacle forming an element of the cell, insulating material interposed between the cells for separating them, battery terminal members connected with the cells,-a container of'insulating material in the form of a tube embracing the cells and directly' in contact with the receptacles thereof, said container having at its bottom a closing flap for insulating the bottoms of the cells, the battery terminal members extending out of the upper end of the container, and a sealing member integrally connectedwith the upper portion of the container and extending over one of the termlnal members to prevent use of the battery as long as the sealing member is intact with the container.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a plurality of cells each including a metallic receptacle forming an element of the cell, an'insulating strip between the cells, a tubular body in which the cells and strip are disposed, said body being as long as the cells, flaps secured to the bottom of the said body and forming a bottom closure for the container, battery terminal members pro- ]ectm out of the top of the body of the container, said body having upwardly proecting side extensions, and overlapping flaps integrally connected with the extensions and covering said battery terminal members and adapted to be torn off, said extensions maintaining the said overlapping flaps spaced from the upper end of the body of the container, whereby openings are-provided for permitting access to the battery connected at opposite sides to overlap and form the bottom of the container and having extensions at opposite sides at the top edges of the container, and integral flaps connected with the extensions to form a seal at the top of the container, said last mentioned flaps being adapted to be torn off from the body of the container. 

